''Rumex brownii'', the hooked dock,
Browne's dock or swamp dock, is a leafy
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...
native to
Australia, and is widespread and grows in disturbed sites. It is an introduced
weed
A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...
in the
Pacific Islands
Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
Japan, and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
.
It is 50–80 cm high with variably shaped
basal
Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''.
Science
* Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure
* Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...
leaves,
oblong or
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regula ...
, to 12 cm long, and to 4 cm wide with
cordate
Cordate is an adjective meaning ' heart-shaped' and is most typically used for:
* Cordate (leaf shape), in plants
* Cordate axe, a prehistoric stone tool
See also
* Chordate
A chordate () is an animal of the phylum Chordata (). All chord ...
to
truncate base. The petiole is about half as long as the
lamina
Lamina may refer to:
Science and technology
* Planar lamina, a two-dimensional planar closed surface with mass and density, in mathematics
* Laminar flow, (or streamline flow) occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption betwe ...
. Flower whorls with 3–5 hooked teeth on each side and with a hooked tip. The hooks aid seed dispersal via attaching to animal fur and hair, and also human clothing.
''Docks (Rumex sp.)''
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.
Uses
Leaf used as a blanched leafy vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...
.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7379251
brownii